After the surprise resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as the vice president, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has launched a hunt for a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy. The BJP-led bloc has a comfortable edge in the electoral college, which consists members of both houses of parliament.
Election of the new vice president, however, is unlikely before the ongoing monsoon session ends on August 21 as the law does not prescribe a deadline for holding polls.
According to reports, the ruling front is keen on fielding a candidate from the backwards or extremely backwards communities as Dhankhar’s successor. Following the precedence, the BJP is likely to back a veteran leader with a strong ideological leaning.
Though there are many names doing the rounds, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh are being seen as the front-runners.
Thakur, the minister of state for agriculture and son of former Bihar chief minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Karpoori Thakur, belongs to the Nai (barber) community. His candidature could help BJP send a political signal ahead of the Bihar assembly elections due later this year.
Harivansh Singh, a JD(U) MP from Bihar, also has an edge in the race given his rich experience in parliamentary affairs.
The names of BJP president J.P. Nadda and former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje are also doing the rounds for the country’s second-highest constitutional post.
If someone from the current pool of governors is to be picked, the party may consider Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, or Bihar Governor Arif Muhammad Khan.
The name of former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is also being speculated as a strong contender.
Rumours had it that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also a possible candidate for the vice president post. The fact that the BJP is keen to have its own chief minister in the state if the party manages to get a considerable majority in the upcoming elections, also fuelled the grapevine.
However, JD(U) insiders have dismissed such speculations, reported the New Indian Express.
The combined strength of both houses of parliament is 786, and the winning candidate will need to win 394 votes in the election for a vice president, considering all eligible voters exercise their franchise.
In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA enjoys the support of 293 members, whereas it has the support of 129 members in the Rajya Sabha (assuming that the nominated members vote in support of the NDA nominee). This brings its total support to 422 members out of 786.
Dhankhar resigned as the vice president on Monday evening, citing medical reasons.